Connections
by Lost2Found
Summary: A princess dreams of a little boy in the desert. A farm-boy dreams of a princess in hiding. When they meet, it is a beacon in the darkness. To save their world, they'll have to do what no one has done before.
1. Chapter 1

The screams woke him.

Terrified, the viceroy raced into his daughter's bedroom, a step behind several guards, many of whom tried to stop him from entering, to no avail.

Sitting there in the middle of her large canopy bed, sat his baby girl, her dark hair mused from sleep, her eyes wide with terror, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"There was a boy, Papa! I saw him! And some terrible creature with a spiked stick! He's in pain, Papa! They hurt him."

"Calm down, Leia," he whispered soothingly, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling the girl into his lap. "It was just a nightmare."

"Papa, I _knew_ him."

"Leia, you couldn't possibly know him. You've never left the planet."

Leia's brow furrowed, and the ten year old looked at him strangely for a moment. Then, her face cleared of emotion—a perfect politician's mask. "Yes, Papa."

When her father left the room, Leia quickly retrieved her datapad. She knew the boy. She didn't know how, but she could feel it. She knew him. On top of that, she knew that her father was hiding something from her—something important. She never said anything about her dream being off-planet. Her father knew something he wasn't telling her.

On Tatooine, deep in the Jundland Wastes Luke curled in on himself, clutching his head. Outside, he could hear the Tuskens moving about their camp. Desperately, Luke parted his cracked lips and let out a piteous cry, too soft and weak to bring any attention to him. Accepting the darkness, he felt his eyes slide shut, and then he knew no more until he was awakened by a gentle touch and a cool rag on his forehead. Opening his eyes, he found himself staring into the kind eyes of his aunt.

"Aunt Beru?" He asked, trembling slightly.

The woman stroked his forehead, her eyes filled with tears. "It's alright, Luke, you're home."

Outside the room, he could hear two deep voices talking tensely. From the tension he could feel, he guessed that they were fighting. He recognized the voice of Uncle Owen, but not the other man. "Who is Uncle Owen talking to?" He asked softly.

Before she could answer, though, the curtain was pulled away and his uncle entered the room, followed by another man. Luke struggled to sit up, and his gaze sharpened when his eyes met the man's. Tentatively, he reached out in his mind and touched the light that was the man's life-force, as he'd always been able to do. This time was different, however, because he felt the man brush against his mind in a similar way. The boy gasped. "I know you! I've felt you before! I don't remember though—It's as though it was in a dream."

Instantly, the other man withdrew from him, and Luke was left alone in the abyss of what he could not yet know as the Force.

"I am glad you are feeling better now, young Luke. You gave me quite a scare."

"How do I know you, sir?"

"I am not sure what you mean, young Luke. I have never met you. I do not see how you could know me," When the man spoke, Luke thought he could detect a Coruscant accent.

Luke's eyes narrowed. "You're lying to me."

"Luke!" Beru admonished.

The man chuckled. "It is alright, Beru. I shall leave you now. Recover well, young Luke. Owen, please consider that of which we spoke."

"Fat chance, old man."


	2. Chapter 2

Thirteen-year-old Luke Skywalker sat on top of the moisture vaporator, doing his best to correct the mechanical flaw that was causing the old machine to produce less than three quarters of its moisture capacity. Below him, Owen Lars looked up at his young nephew. Though he was loath to admit it, the boy's skill in mechanics had far surpassed his own years ago. With a groan, he heard the old machine cut on. Within moments, Luke was standing beside him, a small smile playing on his lips, although his eyes showed his fatigue.

Owen examined the boy, and then gruffly asked, "Were you up reading that magazine I told you to put away last night?"

Luke blinked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion, before he answered. "No, Uncle Owen. I just haven't slept well the past few nights."

Shaking his head, Owen turned away. Luke sighed, looking down and feeling as though he'd done something wrong, despite knowing he'd done no such thing.

Just after dinner, Luke slipped into his bedroom. When Beru peeked in to check on him, the boy was fast asleep.

She sat on the coach beside Owen, picking up a piece of cloth from her mending basket. "The boy seems tired—more than he should be."

Owen grunted.

"What if he's ill, Owen?"

"He'd say something Beru."

"Owen, he knows as well as you that we can't afford a doctor. He wouldn't say anything."

"He said he's been having trouble sleeping at night."

Beru shook her head. "Why though?"

"He's probably just dreaming."

Beru blushed slightly and nodded, accepting his explanation.

Later that night though, that explanation was shattered. As they headed for their own bed, Owen stuck his head into his nephew's room to check on the boy. "Beru!" He barked. Instantly, his wife entered the room.

Beru gasped. Luke might be dreaming, but these couldn't possibly be normal dreams.

Luke was laying on his bed, curled into a ball, tears streaming down his face. His hands were clenched into tight fists, and his jaw was locked, though his lips were parted to show his teeth in what could only be characterized as a determined grimace. The boy was trembling, and around him some of his model spaceships spun as though on strings.

"Luke! Wake up!" Owen called, firmly shaking the boy.

With a strangled shout, Luke's eyes snapped open and he gasped for breath, his gasps quickly becoming sobs which the boy desperately tried to suppress. He flinched away from his uncle, who took a step away from the boy, worry evident in his eyes.

"Luke, what's wrong?" Beru asked, stepping towards her young nephew after a few minutes.

"It's nothing, Aunt Beru," he whispered. "Just a nightmare."

Owen's usually gruff voice was decidedly softer. "What was it about, son?"

Luke hesitated before leaning into his aunt and allowing her to comfort him as he shared what had caused his terror. "There was a girl. I think I knew her, somehow. She has dark brown hair and kind eyes. She wasn't here though. There was so much green—more than I knew existed in the whole galaxy. She felt… I don't know. It's like I'm missing a part of my soul, but when I dream of her, I have that piece back. I know it doesn't make any sense," he whispered, glancing at his uncle, "but I know she's real. She was afraid. Her father opposes the Empire, and she's afraid for him. I've dreamed of her every night for more than a week. Tonight, she was hiding in a closet. I could hear shouting and blasters shooting, and then this awful breathing. She was so afraid it felt like she was choking. It felt like I was choking too."


	3. Chapter 3

He was racing through Beggar's Canyon with Biggs when he felt the panicked brush against his mind. It was the same presence he'd felt in his dream two years prior, but this time he was awake, and it was much closer to him. Instantly, he pulled up, maneuvering his skyhopper out of the canyon.

"Luke?" He heard his friend's confused voice call. The older boy jogged over and stood at his shoulder, following Luke's gaze up towards the sky. At that moment, an escape pod appeared, breaking atmosphere and plummeting towards the sands below.

"Come on!" Luke shouted, taking off towards the pod.

"Luke, wait!" Biggs called.

Suddenly, Luke fell to the ground with a cry of pain. It felt as though his head would explode.

"Luke!" Biggs gasped, helping him sit up.

"I'm all right," he managed to say quietly. "The girl, she's hurt."

"Girl?" The sixteen-year-old asked.

Just then, the hatch popped open and two droids came out, the protocol droid holding an unconscious girl in his arms.

"How did you…"

Luke just shook his head. "Come on, let's get her back home."

"Excuse me, sirs," the gold protocol droid called, spotting them, "but could you assist us? Mistress Leia has hit her head." The little blue astromech beside him beeped frantically, although Luke had trouble discerning the emotions behind it.

"Come on," Luke called, gesturing to his skyhopper. "You and the girl can ride with me. Biggs can follow behind with the astromech."

"Thank you, sir," the droid said. "I am C3-P0, and this is R2-D2."

Biggs nodded. "Let's get a move on."

"Aunt Beru!" Luke shouted as he rushed into the house, holding the girl in his arms.

"Luke! What's wrong?" Beru's voice came from the kitchen.

"A ship crashed. This girl needs help!"

Beru gasped when she saw the girl her nephew held, and she suddenly flashed back to another beautiful aristocrat who had graced her home many years ago. "Take her to your bedroom." With a nod, the boy complied while she rushed to grab healing herbs."

That's when she saw Biggs and the droids. "Darklighter, take the droids to the workshop."

The astromech began beeping, and the protocol droid translated. "I apologize for my counterpart, but R2-D2 says that we cannot be parted from Mistress Leia. We have been tasked to protect the princess." Turning to the astromech, he angrily said, "I recall no such orders. We ought to do as we are told."

"Biggs," Beru snapped, before leaving to head towards her nephew and the girl.

She found them in his room, Leia lying on the bed and Luke sitting beside her. "Aunt Beru," he whispered.

"Yes, Luke?"

The boy hesitated, and when he looked at her, his eyes were filled with a mixture of fear, longing, and hope. "It's the girl. She's the one I always dreamed about. Sometimes there were others…voices, feelings…but she was always there." Suddenly, the boy's gaze snapped back over to the girl. "I think she's waking."

Sure enough, just a few seconds later, the young girl moaned, curling in on herself, her hands going to cradle her head.

Luke was quiet for a long time, touching the girl's light. Suddenly, he felt her respond in kind, and when she did, her eyes snapped open and she sat up. Terrified brown eyes met startled crystalline blue, and both teenagers gasped. Across the desert, Obi-Wan Kenobi felt his stomach drop as the Skywalker twins met for the first time


	4. Chapter 4

Leia took in her surroundings, quickly realizing that she was in a young boy's bedroom—probably the young boy sitting beside her. She felt him touch her with his mind, and she instantly recognized his light. Like any good politician though, she held her tongue.

"Where am I?" She whispered.

"You're on Tatooine," A kind-looking woman said gently. "My nephew and his friend found you with two droids after your ship crashed. Can you tell me your name, dear?"

Leia straightened. "I am Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. Who are you, ma'am?"

"My name is Beru Lars, and this is my nephew, Luke Skywalker, Your Highness. It has been a long time since I've played host to royalty. I hope our home will be acceptable for the time being, humble as it is."

"Thank you, Mrs. Lars."

"May I help you, Mrs. Lars?" Leia asked, coming into the small kitchen.

Beru smiled gently. "Thank you, Princess, but you don't have to."

"Please. You've been nothing but kind to me, since I was found. Let me help." Beru nodded and allowed Leia to pick up a knife to chop some vegetables. After several minutes, Leia paused in her chopping to look over at the woman. "Your nephew, his last name is Skywalker. Why, if you adopted him?"

Beru sighed. "Owen's stepmother, Shmi Skywalker, was the boy's grandmother. Owen loved Shmi, and he wanted Luke to take her name."

"His father was Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi," the young princess asked hesitantly.

Beru froze, and the fear in her eyes answered Leia's question well enough. "Jedi couldn't marry," Beru said firmly. "Luke's father was a pilot on a spice freighter."

"Aunt Beru," Luke called, entering the kitchen, "I can see Uncle Owen coming in now."

Beru forced a smile. "Set the table, then, Luke."

After dinner, Leia headed towards the fresher. As she exited, however, someone grabbed her arm, wrapping their hand over her mouth, and pulling her towards the darkness. For a split second, she struggled, before recognizing Luke's light.

"I know you," Luke whispered. "I've dreamed of you forever. Who are you?"

Leia shrugged. "I've dreamed of you too."

"I heard you talking to Aunt Beru. You said my father was a Jedi. Why?"

"There's a man, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He fought with my father in the Clone Wars. He was a Jedi. He's been teaching me to hide my light and to keep strange things from happening around me. He had a student, a Padawan Learner, named Anakin Skywalker, but he was killed in the Purges."

Luke hesitated for a moment. "There's an old man named Ben Kenobi who lives in the Wastes. He's the one who saved me from the Tuskens. He's taught me the same thing, but my uncle doesn't like him much—some sort of bad blood, I think. Could they be brothers?"

Leia shook her head. "Luke, I think they're the same person. After the Purges, anyone found to be Force-sensitive could be killed. Obi-Wan would've had to go into hiding."

Luke scowled. "Then how could he have trained you?"

Leia looked down. "It must've been very dangerous," she whispered.

"Then why would he do it? And why would he be here on Tatooine? Seems like a strange place for a Jedi—I would think he'd be involved with the Rebellion."

"My guess? He's here to protect you from the Empire. Anakin Skywalker was a powerful Jedi. Any child of his would pose a threat to the Empire."

"Then why would he leave to train you?"

Leia swallowed. "Luke, what's your birthday?"

"Empire Day. Why?" Luke replied.

"A few months ago, my father told me I'm adopted. He wouldn't tell me any information, except that my mother was an important politician and a dear friend who was killed when the Empire rose. He said nothing about my father. I heard my tutor say that my birth mother was a Queen, and that my birth father had saved the planet of Naboo. My mother was rational and cool-headed but stubborn, and my father was a warrior who was fantastic at improvising. Well, I did some research, and I think that my mother was Padme Amidala. When she died, she was thought to still be pregnant. The father was rumored to be any number of men, but…"

"What?" Luke prompted.

"I think the father—my father—was Anakin Skywalker."

"Leia, what's your birthday?" Luke whispered.

"Empire Day."

Luke's eyes were wide. "We're twins? And our mother might have been a Queen? And our father might have been a powerful Jedi?"

Leia nodded quietly. "Padme Amidala was one of the founders of the Rebellion. Even before I knew she was my mother, I idolized her."

Luke briefly looked saddened. "I have a sister," he breathed. "Why were we separated?"

Leia shook her head, tears pooling in her eyes. "I don't know, Luke."


	5. Chapter 5

They were headed back into the main part of the house when Luke heard raised voices and grabbed his sister's arm, pulling her against the house and putting his finger to his lips.

"We have to, Owen!" Beru pleaded.

"No! You're not taking my boy anywhere. You're not taking my son."

"Owen, please!" Luke recognized Ben Kenobi's voice. "Luke isn't safe here. As soon as she found him, it was like a beacon in the Force. Vader will be here soon. He'll kill them both, and you as well."

"Owen, we'll go with them. We can help keep him safe. The girl too."

"No," Ben cut in. "It will be too suspicious for all of us to leave. Luke and I must go alone. I will keep the boy safe and start his training in earnest."

"You'll do no such thing!" Owen spat.

"What about the girl? You can't separate them now!" Beru cried.

"Luke and Leia know nothing about the connection between them. They'll be fine. I've already informed Bail that the girl is here. Hopefully he will arrive before the Imperials."

"Hopefully?" Owen growled. "You'll risk the girl's life on _hopefully_?" The air crackled with his rage, and Luke and Leia both flinched, unconsciously drawing each other closer.

"The girl was given to Bail for a reason, to mold her in her mother's footsteps. Luke was sent here to follow his father's—not that you've allowed me to properly train the boy," Ben muttered the last part.

"We gave Luke _family_ —something dear old Anakin was sorely lacking. My boy will not be your last hope; he will not follow some path you've got planned. He'll make his own decisions of what he wants to be, instead of being stolen from his mother's lap." Owen's voice was venomous.

"If you truly love Luke," Ben said softly, "then you'll tell him to leave with me."

Obi-Wan fell silent when he felt the fear and anger radiating from just outside the room. The Skywalker Twins entered the room together, and Obi-Wan sucked in a sharp breath—it was like looking at a young version of Anakin and Padme.

The boy's lip quivered as he processed the scene before him. "A-Aunt B-B-Beru?"

"Luke!" She whispered.

"P-Please, don't make me go!" He ran to his aunt, who wrapped her arms around him.

"Vader's coming," Obi-Wan suddenly growled, looking frightened.

"I won't leave my family," Luke whispered, his chin coming up as he faced the Jedi master. In that moment, he was all Padme.

"Leia, come quickly," he commanded.

The girl glared at him, a look she'd inherited from his lost Padawan. "I'm not leave my brother."

Just then, a deep, rhythmic breathing filled the small room. Vader had arrived.


	6. Chapter 6

"Luke!" Ben called sharply. He tossed him a silver cylinder, praying the Force would guide the boy.

"Uncle Owen!" Luke cried, looking towards his uncle as the man dove for a blaster Luke knew to be hidden under the kitchen table. Luke dove for the second one, under the kitchen cabinet, and threw it to his aunt.

"We meet again, Master," the dark specter, who Luke recognized from the holonet as Darth Vader, growled at Ben.

"Vader," Ben acknowledged the man.

"Take them," Vader ordered the stormtroopers, who immediately moved to restrain everyone in the house. Quickly, they were moved outside the house and forced to kneel. "I never took you to be the type to shelter Force-sensitives, Lars," Vader growled at Owen.

"My son," Owen told the cyborg, "found the girl when her ship crashed. Please, Vader, we didn't know," he pleaded.

At that moment, Obi-Wan leapt upwards, summoning his lightsaber to him. The other stormtroopers, shocked, failed to keep their grip on their own captives. Jumping up, both twins quickly summoned the blasters of two stormtroopers. Luke tossed his to his uncle before summoning another, fear desperation lending both young force-sensitives power, despite their lack of formal training. The battle began in earnest, and Luke watched in horror as his aunt fell to the ground, unmoving.

"Beru!" Owen roared, moving towards his fallen wife. He'd almost made it, when a blaster bolt caught him in the shoulder and he fell as well. Looking up, he met his nephew's terrified gaze. "Run, Luke! Go!" A single blaster bolt to his head silenced him forever.

"Come on!" Leia cried, grabbing his arm and pulling him away.

Luke glanced back to see Ben Kenobi—Obi-Wan—whoever he was—engaged in a fierce lightsaber battle with Vader. The stormtroopers seemed divided between watching the battle and firing at the twins. Making his decision, Luke tore off beside his sister.


	7. Chapter 7

They ran for hours, across the desert. Finally, Ben's old hut came into view. They entered, and Leia immediately went for the water. Luke, a child of the desert, was not quite as bad off as his twin sister, and allowed her to have her fill before drinking the rest of the precious liquid.

They both sat in silence for a long while, trying to process it all.

"My father's coming, Luke. If we can hold out until then, we'll be safe."

Luke shook his head. "No, we won't. We don't have the training to properly hide, not while we're together. That's why we were separated in the first place."

"You-you'll come live with us. You'll be the Prince of Alderaan, and Vader won't be able to touch you."

"Come on, Leia," he whispered. "I know you're smarter than that. Me, a prince? I'm a farm-boy. I'm a Child of the Desert. I could never be a part of your world, Princess."

Leia's eyes were fierce. "You're my brother, no matter what else. We belong together—we never should've been apart in the first place! You heard what they said—we could stop the Emperor. We could save the galaxy, Luke!"

"Leia," His eyes were stricken. "My family is gone! The closest thing I had to parents are dead, and it's _my fault_!"

"Don't say that, Luke!" Leia pleaded with her brother.

"But it's true! Vader came looking for us—for _me_."

"Peace, young Luke," came a deep voice. Leia leapt to her feet, looking around frantically, but Luke calmly looked to his left, where the ghostly visage of a man suddenly materialized. "Remember your breathing. Expel your emotions into the Force."

Luke took a deep breath and sunk down on his knees to the floor.

"Who are you?" Leia demanded.

"Peace, young Skywalker. You would do well to follow your brother's example. To answer you, I am Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. I was Obi-Wan Kenobi's master when he was a Padawan learner, and I was to train your father until I was killed. My Padawan was knighted, and he took on your father's training. I have been giving your brother some rudimentary training in his dreams, much like Obi-Wan has done for you. Luke's Uncle Owen would not allow my Padawan to train your brother, so I undertook the task in secret, in dreams, where he could not interfere. Now, copy your brother. Find his Force signature and follow him, if you must."

"Master Qui-Gon," Luke asked when his master and sister both joined him in the Force.

"Yes, young Luke?"

"What are we to do? Vader draws near, and we are ill-equipped to face him in combat."

"That is why I have brought you here, young one. The Force has seemed fit to intervene on your behalf. You are to be sent into the past. For what purpose, I cannot tell you. That, you must figure out on your own."

"This must be a dream," Leia murmured. "Time travel isn't possible."

"You will find, young Organa-Skywalker that a great many things you take as impossible are quite within the realm of possibilities," the Jedi said sagely.

"Master Qui-Gon, how will we know if we are doing the right thing?"

"Trust in the Force, young Skywalker. You will know what to do."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: I am a Star Wars fan, but I never got into the comics or novels or video games. My family strictly stuck with the trilogy films, so anything in here is movie-based or from Wookipedia. Constructive criticism and/or advice is appreciated, but flames are not. Thanks y'all! 3**

Luke landed hard on the ground, hard enough for the air to be knocked out of him. Instinctively, he reached out with his mind to brush against his sister, who gave him the mental equivalent of an assuring nod. Quickly, both scrambled to their feet. Luke found that he was still wearing his tan desert tunic and had the lightsaber strapped to his utility belt, and Leia remained dressed in her satin gown, looking very much like the princess she was raised to be.

"Any idea where we are, Farm-boy?" Leia asked sarcastically.

Luke simply shook his head, handing his sister the small blaster pistol he always kept in the utility belt. For himself, he held the lightsaber in his hand, ready to ignite it at any time.

It didn't take them long to find trouble, in the form of several Neimoidians being pursued by two Jedi. People fled as they approached. Luke put his finger to his lips, warning Leia to stay quiet, as they watched the Jedi engage over fifty battle droids as the Neimoidians made their escape. Luck was not on their side, it seemed, as the humanoid aliens saw them.

"Jedi scum!" The one in the lead spat, firing his blaster at the twins. Instantly, instinctively, Luke produced a Force barrier, which the blaster bolt diffused across harmlessly. That seemed to catch the attention of the battle droids, because they all turned and began firing on the twins. Luke's arms shook with the effort of maintaining the energy barrier, and as his muscles began to burn, he let out a fearsome shout.

"The Jedi've almost won, Luke," he vaguely heard Leia shout, although he was too focused on saving their skins to worry check the men's progress. Under heavy strain, the shield finally broke, and Luke let out a cry, falling to the ground as one blaster bolt pierced his shoulder and another caught his knee. Leia instantly returned fire, destroying the droid who'd shot him. Looking around, Luke saw that the Jedi had finished all but one droid, and the Neimoidians had fled.

"Luke?" Leia cried, falling to her knees beside him.

"'m alright, Princess," he whispered. "Just tired." Leia tensed as the Jedi stepped closer to them. "Peace, Princess," Luke whispered. "Feel the Force."

Leia closed her eyes and smiled. "It's so bright!" She gasped.

"Are you alright?" Asked the elder Jedi, concern showing in his eyes.

Closing his eyes, Luke quickly found the bond that had formed between himself and his sister. _Leia_ , he thought, _do you trust me?_ Beside him, he heard his sister gasp before mentally responding in the affirmative. _When I tell you, run. As far and as fast as you can._

 _What?! Luke, I'm not leaving you! Not when I've just found you!_

 _It's better one of us make it than both of us be captured or killed. You have to do this._

"You ought to answer Master Kenobi, Padawans," the younger Jedi growled. "What are you doing here anyways? You could've been killed! As it is, you've gotten yourself injured."

Obi-Wan Kenobi observed the two young Padawans before him. Both looked very young—perhaps thirteen or fourteen—newly apprenticed, then. Something was off about them. Neither had moved for a lightsaber—he couldn't even see one on the girl—during the battle, but the force barrier the boy had raised was strong—much stronger than even a senior Padawan should be able to produce. Both Padawans had incredible shielding abilities, making it difficult for even Obi-Wan to pinpoint their exact location by sensing their Force presence.

Suddenly, without any warning, both he and Anakin were knocked backwards by a powerful force push. Immediately, the female Padawan took off running.

"Stop!" Anakin shouted, as both knights scrambled to their feet and started to give chase, only to run smack into another powerful force barrier, erected by the male Padawan, who still laid on the ground. Anakin instantly pulled out his lightsaber and started hacking at the energy barrier, swiping the blood away from his nose. With every hit, the young Padawan grimaced and the barrier weakened, until it finally shattered. The boy seemed to deflate, glancing behind him to make sure the girl had escaped. Sure enough, the girl was nowhere in sight, and Obi-Wan couldn't find her Force presence. A small smile played across the boy's lips before he found Anakin's bright azure lightsaber against his throat.

The anger he felt radiating from his former Padawan startled Obi-Wan. The young boy tensed, but showed no fear, lifting his chin in defiance and holding Anakin's gaze.

"Anakin," he admonished the younger man, "calm yourself."

"Sorry, Master," the young man replied, stepping back, though he did not sheath his blade.

Obi-Wan studied the young boy, sitting on the ground, diffusing his pain into the force with the skill of a senior Padawan nearly twice his age. The boy looked startlingly like Anakin had at that age, but he seemed much calmer, and his command of the Living Force reminded Obi-Wan of his own long-dead Master. _Who was this boy_ , he wondered? "What is your name, young Padawan?"

The boy was silent for several moments, seeming to debate if he should tell them. "Luke." When he responded, his soft-spoken manner took Obi-Wan by surprise.

"What is your full name, Padawan Luke?" Anakin growled, getting annoyed.

The boy glared at the young knight and lifted his chin, his defiant attitude returning.

"I grow tired of these games," Anakin growled. Luke flinched at that, drawing himself inward and, it seemed by sheer will, upwards. Standing awkwardly, with most of his weight on his uninjured leg, he ignited his lightsaber and held it with both hands, although he trembled with the effort of staying upright. His eyes betrayed a fear—no, a terror—that he somehow kept hidden from his force presence.

"Anakin, sheath your weapon and control your temper. You as well, young Padawan. You are a long way from the Temple, and without your Master. We mean you no harm, but we must know who you are."

Slowly, the boy lowered his lightsaber and sheathed the weapon, as did Anakin.

"My name is Luke—just Luke."

Anakin snorted. "The Temple gives all Initiates a last name if they don't have one. Try again."

Luke glared. "I'm Luke," he said simply. "Luke Lars."


	9. Chapter 9

Anakin narrowed his eyes at the boy, taking in his too-familiar tunic. "Any relation to Cleigg Lars or his son Owen?"

Luke stayed silent, his eyes trained firmly on the ground, although Anakin thought he could feel a deep sadness radiating from the boy, hidden and tucked tightly away beneath his shields.

"Alright," Obi-Wan said quietly, "Let me ask you this: who is your master, Luke Lars? Where is your Padawan braid? And finally, who is the girl you were with?"

Luke swallowed and looked up at the auburn-haired Jedi. "I'm sorry, Master, but I can't answer those questions. Not without jeopardizing everything else."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anakin scoffed.

Luke fixed him with a look that he'd only ever seen on Padme, and somehow it fit him. "It means, Knight Skywalker, that I was commanded by my master and the Force itself to not say anything, and I will not fail this mission—too much rides on it."

"Very well then," Obi-Wan said sternly, "We will take you back with us to the Temple. Perhaps Master Yoda will be able to convince you to speak."

They were within sight of the ship when Luke felt a powerful burst of panic that sent him to his knees. Both Jedi masters were shocked by the wave of emotion, but managed to keep their footing. Luke tried to scramble forward, but was unable to due to both his injuries and the firm grip that Anakin had on his uninjured arm. As the ramp of the ship lowered, Luke felt his heart drop. Stormtroopers. And there, struggling in the grip of two of them, was Leia. With the two Padawans together again, Obi-Wan could examine their force signatures properly for the first time. Both were firmly engrained in the light, and they were startlingly similar. They also both had an unprecedented number of bonds and attachments flowing from their presences, a number of which appeared to be severed, especially around Luke. Together, they produced a supernova which eclipsed even Anakin's light.

"Leia, down!" Luke shouted. At that moment, the boy stomped hard on Anakin's toe, prompting the knight to release him. The girl, Leia, went limp in the trooper's arms, throwing all of her weight downward. Simultaneously, Luke summoned the blaster that the girl had dropped, aiming at the clone trooper.

"No!" Obi-Wan shouted, drawing his lightsaber and cutting the weapon in half, rendering it useless.

Both Padawans looked utterly panicked, stunned, and hopeless. They offered little resistance as they were led to a holding cell, and when they were both placed together, they quickly sought each other out, sitting in the corner holding each other, both shaking with fear.

Obi-Wan watched the force-sensitive teenagers on the video monitor. The girl—Leia, Luke had called her name—kept a carefully blank mask, although a tear did manage to escape down her cheek. The boy, though, Luke, came completely undone, his entire body trembling violently as sobs wracked his body and he fell apart.

Leia put her arm around the boy's shoulder in comfort. "It's alright to grieve for them, Luke," She assured him softly.

"No, it's not," he whispered. "There is no emotion, there is peace."

"Everyone grieves, Luke. To grieve is to be human. You know as well as I do that the Jedi Code wasn't perfect. Besides, they might as well have been your parents."

"But they weren't," Luke argued. "All my life, I knew they were my aunt and uncle, not my parents. I don't even know if they were really related to me or if they were just some couple Ben found who wanted to adopt a war orphan. Regardless, they got far more than they bargained for—I may as well have killed them myself!"

"No, Luke! They raised you. Even if they were your aunt and uncle, they're the ones who were always there—that makes them parents. And She told me that He was your step-uncle—not blood related, but still family. And it wasn't your fault, it was mine. I'm the one who crashed on Tatooine and had to ask for your help. I'm the one who led them to you. It wasn't your fault."

As quickly as he'd fallen apart, Luke pulled himself together, closing his eyes and meditating.

"I don't know what to make of them," Obi-Wan mused to his former Padawan.

"They certainly don't act like anyone raised inside the Temple. I can't even figure out how they're connected. From his clothes and accent, I'd say the boy's Tatooinian, but the girl is dressed like a politician, and her accent seems more Core-world to me."

"Whoever they are, they're terrified. Fear is a path to the Dark Side."

"They're children, Master."

Obi-Wan sighed. "I just hope that Master Yoda can sort them out."


	10. Chapter 10

Leia took her brother's hand as they were ushered into the Council chamber. Anakin remained standing beside them, but Obi-Wan crossed the room and took the empty council seat.

"What are your names, Padawans, and who are your masters?" The dark-skinned human asked, getting straight to the point.

"Luke and Leia Lars, sir. We have no masters. We aren't—what do you call it?—Padawans."

"Hmmm," the little green master hummed. "Twins, you are, are you not?" He closed his eyes. "Raised apart, were you?"

Luke released her hand and stepped forward slightly, putting himself between his sister and the Jedi. "Yes, sir."

"Your path is clouded," the dark-skinned human Jedi observed.

"From the future, are you not?" The green master asked this time, drawing sharp stares from the other masters in the room.

"Master Yoda," one of the masters gasped. "That's not possible! Time travel hasn't been achieved yet!"

Anakin looked on as Luke took a sharp step backwards, fear flaring behind his impeccable shields. In his place, Leia stepped forward, head held high, although her face was slightly pale. "Ask us no more, Masters. We cannot answer." Her tone was that of someone used to being obeyed.

Yoda hummed, "In a dark future, have you grown up, younglings. Trained to hide your Presence, hidden from something I cannot see were you. Children of the Light, hidden in the Darkness. Too strong, you are, to be kept together. A beacon in the Force, would you have been, to those seeking to destroy the Light."

At the master's proclamation, Luke and Leia both swallowed hard, struggling to contain their fear.

Luke shook his head in disbelief. "The Force can tell you all that, Master?" He asked in a small voice.

The other masters looked startled. "You're saying he's right?" One of the masters exclaimed.

Luke closed his eyes. "Yes, masters."

"Luke!" Leia hissed. "He told us to stay silent."

Luke nodded at Yoda. "He already knows, Princess. Not everything, but enough." Reluctantly, his sister nodded.

"Why is this Emperor after you? How did the Order fall? Who trained you?" Anakin demanded.

Luke squared his small shoulders and looked at Anakin. "You may not like the answer," he warned.

"Tell us, young Lars," Mace prompted the boy.

"We know very little of our parentage. My aunt and uncle told me that my father was a pilot on a spice freighter. No one mentioned my mother."

Leia spoke up. "My father always said that it was too dangerous to reveal anything about my true parentage, but he once told me that I was just like my mother and that she would be proud of me." Leia choked slightly. "I was the youngest senator to ever gain office in the Galactic Senate. I was on my way to Imperial Center to be sworn in when my ship was attacked."

"A senator, you believe your mother was. And something you know of your father."

Leia swallowed. "I don't think I should say that, Master Yoda. It could change far too much about the galaxy."

Luke cut in. "I think we're here to learn, so that our training isn't completely lacking."

Mace scoffed. "You can't train! You're far too old."

"Test them, we will. Know the extent of their current training, we do not."

"Before you test us, Masters," Leia said softly, "Might my brother be taken to a med bay? He's in quite a bit of pain."

Mace scowled. "I don't sense anything," he said loftily.

Leia glared at the man, a look which reminded Obi-Wan eerily of Anakin, and snapped icily, "Do you honestly believe that we wouldn't be able the shield ourselves? We've been in hiding since our birth. If a Sith Lord can't find us, what makes you think you'd be able to sense anything about us."

Anakin couldn't help himself. Listening to a girl hardly older than an initiate dress down a member of the Jedi Council sent him over the edge, and he burst into laughter.


	11. Chapter 11

Mace returned the girl's glare. "You can't possibly be shielding your feelings from the Council. Most masters can't even shield that well."

Obi-Wan coughed. "The boy has shown remarkable command of the force, Master Windu, and he did sustain multiple blaster shots."

"One to the shoulder and another to the knee," Anakin supplied helpfully.

The eyebrows of several of the masters raised several inches.

"Why have you said nothing, young Lars?" Mace asked sharply.

The boy grimaced and shrugged his shoulders. "Emotion yet peace, ignorance yet knowledge, passion yet serenity, chaos yet harmony, death yet the force," the boy recited quietly.

"If you had no master, then who taught you the Code?" One of the masters asked sharply.

Luke's gaze sharpened. "The Code failed, Master. An old hermit living in the desert near my home, who I knew as Ben Kenobi, was meant to train me, we think," he said, gesturing to his sister, "but my uncle wouldn't allow it. From the time I was young, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn visited me in my dreams and trained me. Ben couldn't train me openly, so Master Qui-Gon did so in my dreams, where my uncle couldn't interfere."

"And you?" The master gestured towards Leia. "Qui-Gon trained you as well?"

"No, sir. A Jedi who escaped the Purges would visit every few months to help train me. Not enough to be a Jedi, but enough that I could hide myself from the Empire."

"What was his name?" Obi-Wan asked.

Leia swallowed. "It was you, Master Kenobi. You lived on Tatooine as Ben Kenobi, I'm guessing to protect my brother, but my father knew your true identity, and you would come to Alderaan to train me every couple of months."

"Alderaan, you said?" Mace asked. "Your father is Bail Organa, then?"

Leia looked slightly flustered at having given that bit of information away, but she answered truthfully. "Yes, Master Windu. My parents told me on my fifteenth birthday that I was adopted. Papa wouldn't tell me anything about my birth family though—he said it was too dangerous."

Anakin snorted. "There's no way that you're fifteen," he scoffed, looking the twins up and down.

Luke and Leia both bristled. Leia responded coolly, "I can assure you, Knight Skywalker, my brother and I are fifteen years old. We were born on Empire Day."

"Empire Day?" Kit Fisto asked.

Luke and Leia looked down, both blushing. "We don't know very much about our birth, masters," Luke whispered. "I, probably far less than Leia."

"Our mother opposed the Empire," Leia cut in. "She was an outspoken defender of democracy, and she made possible the founding of the Rebel Alliance. For her efforts, she was killed. When she was buried, they made it look like she still carried us, but we had been born just before she died. We were born on the day the Republic fell and the Empire rose."


	12. Chapter 12

"Leia, be quiet," Luke suddenly hissed sharply, so quietly that Obi-Wan almost missed it.

The girl glanced at her brother, only to instantly fall silent and step closer to her brother. All at once, it was as though their Force-presences disappeared, as did their physical form. The masters in the room gasped in a very un-Jedi-like display of shock. At the same time, a knock came on the door. Without invitation, the door swung open, and Chancellor Palpatine stepped through the door.

"Chancellor," Master Windu said sharply, "This is a Council meeting."

"I understand that, Master Windu," the grandfatherly man said gently, "but I was to be informed when Anakin and Master Kenobi returned from their mission."

"And you will be," Mace said coolly, "but Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker had to brief the Council first. Surely you understand, Chancellor. Now, if we may continue our Council meeting…" he leveled his signature glare at the chancellor.

"Of course. My apologies, Masters of the Council." He bowed slightly. Before leaving, though, he turned to Anakin, "I will see you later tonight, Knight Skywalker?"

"Of course, Chancellor."

Anakin followed the Chancellor's force signature until he was well outside the Temple. He struggled to release his annoyance into the Force. With a sigh of relief, the twins suddenly reappeared, and Luke stumbled forward, barely managing to catch himself. Leia quickly sidled up beside him and slipped his arm around her shoulders, taking some of his weight. Several of the Jedi stared at them with wide eyes, and a couple even allowed their mouths to fall open, displaying their shock.

"How did you do that?" Obi-Wan Kenobi asked in awe.

Luke, though, could hardly keep his head upright, let alone answer questions. Anakin reached out and touched the boy's force presence. "Masters," he said somewhat urgently, "He's suffering from Force exhaustion."

"What's that?" Leia asked breathlessly, looking scared. Master Windu looked sharply at the girl, disapproving.

"I'm going to take the boy to the med-center, Masters," Anakin suddenly decided, picking the boy up. Anakin was shocked by how little the teenager weighed.

"I'm going with him," Leia said stubbornly, standing at Anakin's shoulder.

"No, you'll stay here and answer the Council's questions," Anakin informed the girl.

Instantly, she straightened up and squared her shoulders, fixing him with a determined glare. "You're not separating me from my brother. I won't lose him now that we've found each other."

Mace scoffed. "He's going to the med-center, not a prison cell."

Leia lifted her chin. "I've grown up in an inter-galactic Civil War. I've had many people tell me one thing and do another. I will not be separated from my brother."

"Knight Skywalker, go," Yoda, ordered. "Young Lars, go with him."


	13. Chapter 13

Luke moaned and curled in on himself. "Aunt Beru," he whimpered. "Please, no!" Leia, sitting on the side of the bed, stroked his forehead, smoothing down his blond hair.

From where he stood at the foot of the bed, Anakin looked up sharply. Anakin spoke to Leia. "Your aunt and uncle are Owen and Beru Lars, aren't they?"

Leia hesitated. "I don't know them, Master. I crashed on Tatooine and Luke found me. I didn't speak to his parents much."

Anakin narrowed his eyes. "Stop lying to me, young one. You are not called Lars, are you?"

Leia shook her head, "No, sir. My name is Leia Organa."

"And your brother, is his true name Lars?" Leia swallowed hard before shaking her head. "Is it Skywalker?" Her silence was answer enough. "What happened to Owen and Beru?"

Leia's eyes filled with tears. "I was elected to the senate—the youngest senator ever elected. But my ship was attacked on the way to Imperial Center—to Coruscant—and Threepio and Artoo and I escaped to Tatooine in an escape pod. Luke and a friend were racing in the canyon and they found us. He took me back to his home. I never really spoke to Mr. Lars, but his wife was kind and healed me, even though I knew that they didn't really have the resources to spare on me."

"They knew you?"

Leia shook her head. "I don't know if anyone knew that Luke and I were twins, other than Obi-Wan and maybe my father." Instantly, Leia jerked her head up to stare at the man across from her. "I mean," she stumbled, unsure of how to correct herself, or if she even should.

Anakin held up his hand and responded. "Don't worry, Leia," Anakin smiled. "Bail raised you. Just like I heard you reassure Luke, he's earned the title of father from you."

"Anyways," Leia recovered, "Luke and I recognized each other."

Anakin looked startled and confused. "How?"

Leia smiled tightly. "Since we were very young, we've dreamed of each other, especially when we were in danger."

"From this Empire?" Anakin asked, looking grim and determined—like a protective father.

"Sometimes," she answered. "Papa was one of the leaders of the Rebellion. I've worked actively with the Rebellion since I was thirteen, and I helped with small behind-the-scenes stuff starting when I was ten. Luke was much more sheltered than I was. Most of his danger came from Tatooine."

Anakin stiffened. "Sand People?"

"We had just turned eight when I dreamed of a boy in terrible pain, trapped in a threadbare tent, being tortured by an awful _thing_ with a spiked stick. His aunt said something about Tuskens, but I don't really know. We found each other not even three days ago. We never knew why we dreamed of each other—we each assumed the other wasn't real. For most of the time we've known each other, we've been on the run. We haven't really had time to talk yet."

"Beru and Owen, what happened to them?"

"Luke and I are too strong together to be hidden, at least unconsciously. Obi-Wan couldn't get to us in time, and Vader sensed us and followed our force signatures to the Lars homestead. Obi-Wan and Vader sparred and the stormtroopers killed Owen and Beru. Just before he died, Owen told Luke to run. The trooper shot him in the head for it."

Anakin's eyes were dark. "These, stormtroopers. What are they?"

"I think they were clone troopers, a long time ago. After the Purges, they became the Empire's main army and police force."

"Who is the Emperor?"

Leia shivered at the darkness she felt emanating from the man she now knew without doubt was her father. "I can't tell you that," she whispered.


	14. Chapter 14

Anakin glared at the girl—his daughter?

Beside her, Luke whimpered, and he felt him draw into himself, throwing up a set of shields which he recognized as meant to hide his force presence. He didn't know if she meant to do it, but Leia reacted much the same as her twin brother, hiding her presence behind powerful shields. Quickly, he dispelled the negative emotions into the force and sent as may positive emotions as he could to the twins. Neither one lowered their shields completely, but both relaxed slightly, and Luke slowly opened his eyes. It took Anakin's breath away to find his own eyes set in such a young face.

"Princess," Luke whispered.

"I'm right here, Farm-boy."

"Anger," He murmured.

"No, Luke. It's just Knight Skywalker."

Luke startled, and he curled in on himself further. "Darkness." A sob caught in his throat. "Vader."

"Hush, Luke," Leia whispered, stroking his forehead. "You're safe. Vader can't get us here. He doesn't exist yet."

"Feel the force," the boy whispered, still curled into a ball.

Anakin watched as the girl did as her brother asked. Instantly, she turned to him with wide, terrified eyes, taking a step back so that her legs were pressed against the bed, although she remained protectively in front of her brother.

"Luke?" The girl asked, seeming on the verge of panic. The boy remained silent, and it took Anakin only a moment to realize that he was unconscious again. He moved forward to check on the child, only to slam into a force barrier. He yelped in surprise.

"Leia, lower your barrier. I need to check your brother," he ordered sternly. He watched in something close to awe as the girl summoned the lightsaber which had been clipped to her brother's utility belt. She stood at the ready, the saber ignited, behind the force barrier. "Leia," Anakin snapped again, "Lower the shield!"

She glared at him, readjusting her grip. "They're not my shields."

Anakin furrowed his brow and scowled at the girl, before reaching into the force and feeling the barrier. Sure enough, the force signature was Luke's, not Leia's.


End file.
